Electrical testing device



Nov. 4 1924.

- J. H. MEEHAN ELECTRICAL TESTING DEVICE I922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 50.

m INSULATION JEMeehcav,

INVENTOR WITNESSES J. H. MEEHAN ELECTRICAL TESTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 50 922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

areas ease-cat JAMES H. MEEHAN, OF LEADVILLE, COLORADO.

,ELEGTBICAL TESTING DEVICE.

Application fifled August 30, 1922 Serial .No. 585,229.

To all whom it may concern:

I incandescent lamps, fuses and electrical api so pliances -may .be easily tested to ascertain whether or not they are in proper condition for service. a

An important object is the provision of a device of this character which is designed to be connected with an ordinary circuit such as used for electric lighting in homes, OfllCBS and the like, various accessory parts being provided by means of which the various tests may be carried out.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, a great time and labor saver in use, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: n Figure 1 is a plan view of the device, Figure 2 is a side elevation, Figure 3 is a horizontal section on ?the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking upwardly, f and her, I

Figure 4; is a longitudinal sectional View,

Figure 5 is a diagram of the electric circuit.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 10 designates a supporting base which is constructed of insulating material, preferably marble, and which is also provided on its underside with rubber feet showing the connections in the casing mem- Mounted of wood or other suitable insulating material which is provided in its bottom with a removable closure plate 13 having one end formed with notches 14. This casing 12 is held in position on the base by means of suitable screws '15 which pass upwardly upon the base 10 is a casing 12 A through the base and into the edges of the caslng.

Mounted in the top of the casing is a socket 16 containing allow candle power test lamp 1? and also mounted on the cas- I ing are spaced contact buttons 18 and 19 adjacent which are located upstanding arcuate contact members 20 and 21 respectively. One side of the casin is formed with holes through which extend sleeves 22 held in place by means of suitable screws 23 pamed into the casing and engaging the sleeves.

The electrical connections are as follows. The numeral 24 designates a busbar which has one endcarrying the arcuate contact 20. Soldered or otherwise secured to this bus is a wire 25 which passes through one of the notches 14: in theplate 13, and which lies within a channel 26 in the underside of the base. This wire is connected with a binding post 27 rising from the base. A second busbar 28 is located within the casing and has one end carrying the arcuate contact 21.-

Connected with this second busbar is a wire 29 which is connected with one terminal 0f the socket 16 which has its other terminal connected by a wire 30 with the first mentioned busbar 24.- -Also connected screw 32. The two contact buttons 18 and 19 are connected by'a wire'33- to which is connected a wire 34 leading to .the sleeve 22*. A wire 35 is also. connected with the wire 34, asses through the other notch'14 in the p ate 13, lies within a channel 36 in the underside ofthe base and is connected with a binding post 37 In the use of the device feed wires 38 and 39 from a suitable source of current are connected with the binding posts27 and 37. In actual practice these feed wires would consist of conducting cord plugged into an electric light socket or the like in the building in which the testing is to be done. Current will then enter through the wires connected with these binding posts and will be fed to the busbar 24: and Wire .33. When it is desired to test an incandescent lamp the shell thereof is engaged against the contact 20 with .the' end terminal engaged against the button 18. i If the lamp is not burnt out it will of course light up. When'it is desired to test a fuse, the shell of the fuse is engaged against the contact 21 and the central terminal is engaged upon the button 19. If the fuse is in good condition the circuit will be closed from the button 19 to the contact 21 so that it will fiowthrough the test lamp 17. If the fuse is defective th test lamp will not light.

When it is desired to test a household ap pliance such as an electric iron or the' like to determine the existence of aground, I provide a pair of conducting cords 40 carrying plugs 41 and 41 which are engaged within the sleeves 22 and 22. The other ends of these cords carry plugs 42 and 42. In testing, one plug 42 is connected with one terminal of the appliance and the other plug 42 is engaged against the metal part thereof. If there is a ground or short circuit aspark will be produced at such point of contact.

From the foregoing description and astudy of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a simply constructed and consequentlycinexpensive device by means of which incandescent lamps, fuses and electricalappliances of all kinds may be quickly and easily tested to determine the exact condition thereof. Owing to the simplicity of the construction and the fewness of the parts it is apparent that there is nothingto get out of order so that the device should have a long life and satisfactorily perform all of the functions for a which it is intended.

not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subj oined claim.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

A testing device comprising a supporting base, a casing mounted thereon and carrying spaced arcuate contact shoes and contact buttons there adjacent, binding posts on the base, a socket mounted on the casing and carrying an incandescent test lamp, said lamp having its terminals connected with the respective arcuate contacts and with one binding post, bothof said contact buttons being connected with the other binding post, and apair of metallic sleeves extending through one side of the casing, one sleeve being connected with one binding post and both contact buttons, and the other sleeve being connected with one of said arcuate contacts. I 1

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES H. MEEHAN. 

